LIKE all great ideas the essence of the Atlex Hawker tip gate is it simplicity.
The Atlex team said this year marked the 30th anniversary of the invention of the gate which has been a feature of Atlex sheepyards ever since.
The swing block gate allows operators drafting sheep the ability to shut off or reopen the race making the process easier, while a lack of chains or catches means there is less chance of injury either to livestock or to operator.
"It's been a fantastic success over the years," said Tom Austin, Atlex stockyards designer.
"The system is simple but effective and it has been a feature of countless numbers of yards we have done over the past 30 years."
Mr Austin said there had been good enquiry at this year's Wimmera Machinery Field Days for the Atlex range of livestock yards and enclosures.
"There are those that want to upgrade what they have got and those that just want to get a bit of basic livestock infrastructure back again.
"The good prices in the sector mean people are looking at getting back into livestock but they need somewhere to do all their drafting and to assemble the stock for transport, so even some simple yards can assist with that."
Mr Austin said good yards ultimately saved livestock producers money.
"With the right set-up you can cut down on the number of people required in the yards and you can get things done much quicker."